


Longing Under Synth’s Temptation

by miacottontail



Category: Octopunk Media (Fandom), Seven Deadly Synths (Short Film)
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Inspired by Octopunk Media's Seven Deadly Synths, Magical Realism, Manipulation, Original Character(s), Screenplay/Script Format, synthsona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:02:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26490847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miacottontail/pseuds/miacottontail
Summary: “Lust is the one I get pissed about! Some asshole just destroyed it!!” - SethThis is the story of obsession, deception, and the destruction of Lust.
Kudos: 3





	Longing Under Synth’s Temptation

**Author's Note:**

> I'm emerging from my cave to do a writing challenge! The mythos of Seven Deadly Synths really got the cogs turning in my head, and this is the product of that. Hope y'all enjoy!

INT. FRAT HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

A rowdy house party at a college frat house. Drunk young adults get up to all manner of debauchery. We cut between shots of kids dancing in flashing strobe lights, drinking, smoking, and obnoxiously making out.

But we hear nothing. We just hear a loud ringing, like an awful case of tinnitus.

Cut to HENRIETTA, very young and very out of place. She is standing stock-still in the middle of this insanity, gripping a red solo cup like a vice. She watches everything but connects to nothing.

**VOICE (O.S.)**  
(Fading in and out)  
Hey....you okay? (Beat.) Hey, you there?

A hand places itself on Henrietta’s shoulder. She jumps and the party music (an overplayed 80s synth-pop tune) floods back at full volume.

Henrietta turns to face a tall, mysterious but kind-looking young man. The man, ROGER, takes his hand off her shoulder and stuffs it into his pants pocket.

**ROGER  
** You back to earth now?

**HENRIETTA  
** Um...yeah. I...sorry, what did you say?

**ROGER**  
(Chuckles)  
I asked if you were okay.

**HENRIETTA  
** Oh! Yeah, I’m...I’m here. This just isn’t really...my friend went off to mingle and left me here.

**ROGER  
** Well, if I know my college girls, she’s probably mingling pretty hard with someone right now.

Henrietta scrunches her nose. She tries to distract herself with her drink, but can’t make it more than a sip without wincing.

**ROGER (CONT’D)  
** What’d you say your name was?

**HENRIETTA  
** I didn’t.

Beat.

**HENRIETTA (CONT'D)  
** Henrietta.

**ROGER (CONT'D)  
** Nice. (Beat.) You in a sorority?

**HENRIETTA  
** Me? No! God no. It’s...bit too cult-y for me. No offense.

**ROGER  
** None taken.

A moment passes. The song changes to something with a heavier bass line. Everyone is becoming noticeably more intoxicated.

Henrietta glances up to see Roger staring at her.

**HENRIETTA  
** I’m sorry, do I know you from somewhere?

**ROGER  
** Probably not. Just transferred from Treasure Valley a few months back. Just have one of those faces, I guess.

Another beat of tense silence passes. Roger continues to stare at Henrietta as the music blasts.

Henrietta forces down the rest of her drink, gagging at the aftertaste.

**HENRIETTA (CONT'D)  
** It’s getting kind of late. I should go.

**ROGER  
** You want me to walk you home?

**HENRIETTA  
** No! (Beat.) Thanks, but no. It was nice meeting you...

**ROGER  
** Roger.

**HENRIETTA  
** Right. Bye, Roger.

Henrietta turns and walks away. We see in the background that Roger watches her as she leaves.

CUT TO:

EXT. FRAT HOUSE LAWN - MOMENTS LATER

The boom of the music is muffled outside as college kids make noise out on the lawn. Henrietta walks out the door, wading through the madness outside. She makes it to the end of the pathway and starts to shiver.

It dawns on her that she forgot her jacket.

She curses under her breath before turning back into the house.

CUT TO:

INT. FRAT HOUSE, UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

Henrietta walks down the hall, trying to remember which room she put her jacket in. She opens a door and peeks inside, immediately slamming it shut as a blush rises to her face. She takes a second to compose herself and continues her search.

CUT TO:

INT. FRAT HOUSE, BEDROOM - SAME

From inside an uncharacteristically neat bedroom, we see Henrietta pass by the door. She stops and sees her jacket covering what looks like a keyboard. Henrietta goes inside and grabs her jacket.

As she starts putting the jacket on, Henrietta stops and examines the instrument on a stand against the wall. We hear the bass in the background get louder as she looks closer at this beautiful instrument. It’s a lovely custom job with pink, purple, and red accent lights that seem to pulse; but it doesn’t beat in time with the music. The bass fades as the ringing returns.

Henrietta reaches out a hand to touch the Synthesizer.

**ROGER (O.S.)  
** Nice, isn’t it?

Sound returns to normal. Henrietta gasps and turns to face Roger. He steps forward to stand next to her, his eyes on the Synth.

**ROGER (CONT'D)  
** Got it from a friend of mine. Haven’t had a chance to play it yet. (Beat.) Do you play?

**HENRIETTA**  
(She takes a moment to find her voice.)  
Just piano. Never seen one like this before.

**ROGER  
** Well, that’s ‘cause it’s a synthesizer. Bit different from a piano.

**HENRIETTA  
** What’s the difference?

**ROGER  
** You wanna find out?

Beat. Roger moves in closer to Henrietta. He gets close to her face but doesn’t touch her.

**ROGER (CONT'D)**  
(Whispers)  
I can show you. If you want.

Henrietta’s breathing gets heavier. She reaches up and grabs his forearms. Roger starts to lean in, but Henrietta knees him in the balls and runs away.

JUMP CUT TO:

INT./EXT. FRAT HOUSE ENTRYWAY/FRAT HOUSE LAWN - MOMENTS LATER

Cut to Henrietta running out of the house with her jacket half-on. The pounding bass of the music is replaced by the pounding of her heart in her ears.

From the second-story window, we see pink, purple, and red lights pulsing in time with the heartbeat.

CUT TO:

INT. USF MUSIC ROOM - DAY

A chamber orchestra plays a beautiful rendition Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor”. The conductor watches the musicians with a careful eye as the piece comes to a crescendo.

We cut to Henrietta sitting at the piano with her hands on her lap. She is staring at the sheet music in front of her with little recognition in her eyes. All noise begins to jumble together as her eyes glaze over.

The strings come to a decrescendo. A beat passes. The conductor clears his throat loudly.

Henrietta comes to and begins playing. The piece continues, but the conductor is not happy. Henrietta tries not to meet his eyes.

**HENRIETTA (V.O.)  
** It was humiliating.

JUMP CUT TO:

INT. HIPSTER CAFÉ - EVENING

A hipster cafe with low lighting, a smoky atmosphere, and a small stage in front of worn wooden tables. Someone sets up the sound system for an act on the stage in the background.

Henrietta sits at a table with her head in her hands, her food untouched in front of her. NOEL (20s, bubbly, free-spirited) places a hand on Henrietta’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

**HENRIETTA  
** I’ve never missed a cue in my whole life! Now Mr. Lancelor thinks I’m a space-cadet who’s just there for the elective credit!

**NOEL  
** I mean, I don’t think he thinks that-

**HENRIETTA  
** How would you know what he thinks?!

Beat.

**HENRIETTA (CONT'D)  
** Sorry. Sorry, I’m...God!

**NOEL  
** Etta, it’s fine. You’re not immune to off-days. Or hangovers.

**HENRIETTA  
** I had _one_ drink last night.

**NOEL  
** Not the point! You gotta give yourself a break. Let loose, try new things. If you don’t, you’re gonna grow up with a permanent stick up your ass like our parents.

**HENRIETTA  
** Okay, but maybe I like my comfort zone.

**NOEL  
** That’s ‘cause you don’t know what’s outside of it.

Noel shrugs and steals a fry from Henrietta’s plate. Henrietta playfully slaps her shoulder.

The lights come down a bit as a deep, synthesized note comes up over the noise. Henrietta’s heart drops as she and Noel look to the stage. Standing on the stage with large headphones over his ears and the glowing, custom Synthesizer under his fingertips is Roger.

Everyone in the café watches with interest at the act. Henrietta clenches her fist as her heart beats in time with the music. The lights flash in time on the Synth. It’s a sound she’s never heard before, but something seems to click into place in her mind.

Roger looks up and meets Henrietta’s eyes. He smiles and goes back to playing. Noel notices this and smirks to herself.

CUT TO:

INT. HIPSTER CAFÉ - LATER

As Roger packs up his equipment, Henrietta and Noel watch him from their table.

**NOEL  
** So...you gonna tell me who your secret boyfriend is?

**HENRIETTA  
** What?! No, he’s not my secret boyfriend! Why would I have a secret boyfriend?

**NOEL  
** I don’t know! Why would he smile at you like that? Don’t get me wrong, he’s cute, and good on you for snagging a guy like that. But why didn’t you tell me?!

**HENRIETTA  
** There’s nothing to tell. He’s...just a guy I met at the party last night. He got weird when I saw his...Synthesizer, so I left.

Beat.

**NOEL  
** Just to be clear, “synthesizer” means...?

**ROGER (O.S.)  
** It means Synthesizer.

Henrietta quickly gets to her feet as Roger stops in front of the table.

**ROGER (CONT'D)  
** Henrietta, right?

**HENRIETTA  
** Yeah.

**ROGER  
** Can I talk to you for a second?

Beat.

**NOEL  
** Go ahead, Etta! I’ll be...over there.

Noel gives Henrietta a thumbs up before speed-walking across the café. Henrietta crosses her arms and caves in on herself as Roger steps forward.

**ROGER  
** I wanted to apologize for last night. I didn’t mean to scare you off.

**HENRIETTA  
** That’s...thanks. I accept your apology.

Beat.

**ROGER  
** Offer’s still open, by the way. To play the Synth. If you want.

**HENRIETTA  
** The one that you played tonight?

**ROGER  
** Yeah. I don’t usually let other people touch it, but...you seem like a responsible musician.

Henrietta starts to speak but goes silent. Something begins to pull her attention away. The ringing in her ears comes back as she looks down at the case Roger holds at his side.

**HENRIETTA  
** Okay. Yeah, that sounds...cool.

**ROGER  
** Great. I’m free most days after six, if you-

**HENRIETTA  
** Are you free now?

Beat.

**HENRIETTA (CONT'D)  
** I mean...it’s fine if you’re not. I was just wondering.

**ROGER  
** Now works too. (Beat.) Now works.

Henrietta makes eye-contact with Noel from across the room. She bites her lip and makes a quick nod at Roger. Noel’s eyes go wide and she grins from ear-to-ear.

Roger and Henrietta meet eyes again.

**ROGER (CONT'D)  
** Shall we?

CUT TO:

INT. FRAT HOUSE, BEDROOM - LATER

Roger finishes setting up the Synth back in his room. Henrietta sits on his bed and watches, clenching her fists atop her legs. She can’t stop staring at the Synth as it lights up pink, purple, and red.

**ROGER  
** All right. She’s good to go.

Roger steps out of the way. Henrietta goes up to the Synth and puts her hands on one of the keys. It makes an echo-y sound that sends a tingle through her spine.

**HENRIETTA  
** What do I do now?

**ROGER**  
(Chuckles)  
You play it.

**HENRIETTA  
** It can’t be that simple.

Roger gives her a look, and Henrietta rolls her eyes.

**HENRIETTA (CONT'D)  
** Okay. Any requests?

**ROGER  
** Just...play whatever comes to you.

When her back is turned, Roger puts earplugs in. Henrietta takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and begins to play.

A soft, dreamlike song melody comes through the Synth. As if by magic, overlapping melodies begin playing through the speakers without Henrietta having to program them or record any loops. The pink, purple, and red lights flash in time with the rhythm.

Henrietta opens her eyes and watches as her fingers effortlessly glide across the keys. Multi-colored lights flash in her eyes as she is swept away by this enchanted instrument.

Roger watches her carefully from his bed. A mix of wonder and horror crosses his face. He gets up as the song starts to build again and puts a hand over Henrietta’s

The song stops building, but the melody reverberates throughout the room. Henrietta gasps with a smile on her face. Their hands don’t leave the keys.

**HENRIETTA  
** I...don't know how I did that.

**ROGER  
** How did it feel?

**HENRIETTA  
** (Beat.) I’ve never felt anything like it. It’s like...a rush came over me and I felt alive for the first time!  
(She links her fingers with Roger's.)  
I didn’t want it to stop.

Roger pulls their hands off of the Synth.

**ROGER  
** It’s late. You should go home.

**HENRIETTA  
** What if I don’t want to?

Beat.

**ROGER  
** I think you should leave, Henrietta.

**HENRIETTA  
** Can I at least take the Synth with me? (Beat.) To practice with it.

Roger lets go of her.

**ROGER  
** No.

Henrietta turns around to face him.

**HENRIETTA  
** Why not?

**ROGER  
** Because I said no.

**HENRIETTA  
** That’s not fair. You’re the one who brought me here in the first place.

**ROGER  
** I know, but I didn’t think it would actually work. Not this fast, anyway.

**HENRIETTA  
** What are you talking about?

**ROGER  
** I need you to leave.

**HENRIETTA  
** What do you want me to do? You want me to buy it? Do I have to beg you or something?

**ROGER  
** That’s not-

Henrietta grabs Roger by the shirt and forces him into a kiss. Roger pushes her off.

**ROGER (CONT'D)  
** Stop! I’m not going to ask you again.

**HENRIETTA  
** I want that Synth! Nothing will ever make me feel as good as that just did! You can’t take that away from me!

**ROGER  
** You don’t know what you’re talking about.

**HENRIETTA  
** You want it for yourself, don’t you? What, you planned to bring me here to rub this thing in my face and kick me to the curb?! Is that what you’re doing, you smarmy fuck?!

**ROGER  
** Okay, that’s enough!

Henrietta rears back and punches Roger in the face. Roger falls back into the wall and holds his nose as it starts to bleed.

The second she sees the blood, Henrietta snaps back to reality. Her ears begin to ring louder than we’ve heard before. She looks back to the Synth as it pulses violently with bright red. It seems to be calling out to Henrietta. She steps closer as a violent bass line and frantic melody pulses in her head over the ringing.

From behind, Roger grabs Henrietta and pins her arms behind her back. He sticks a needle in her neck as she starts to struggle. Slowly, Henrietta’s vision blurs as the music fades and the ringing gets louder and louder.

The Synths bright lights start to strobe out of control as Roger unplugs it from the wall and shoves it back in its case, locking it tight.

Henrietta’s last battle with consciousness is lost as her vision fades to black.

FADE TO:

INT. USF INFIRMARY - MORNING

A soft white light comes into focus. We see Henrietta’s eyes blink open as the sounds of a fan becomes clear. She groans as she tries to sit up, but a hand on her forearm brings her back down.

**ROGER  
** You shouldn’t sit up so fast. You’ve still got a bit of that tranquilizer in your system.

**HENRIETTA**  
(Slurring.)  
What? Did...did you drug me?

**ROGER  
** It was the only way to make you stop. God knows what you would’ve done if you started playing again.

Henrietta tries to sit up again, ignoring Roger’s silent protest.

**HENRIETTA  
** What the hell happened last night?

**ROGER  
** (Fighting for words.)  
I...used you as a test subject. I put you in danger to test a theory, and I’m sorry. You...I can understand if you don’t want to ever speak to me again.

**HENRIETTA  
** What...are you, like, a Russian spy or something?

**ROGER  
** No! Nothing like- No. I’m...  
(Sighs.)  
It’s kind of hard to explain.

**HENRIETTA  
** I don’t care.

Roger scoots his chair closer. He checks to make sure no one is listening before speaking.

**ROGER  
** So, that friend I told you about, the one who gave me the Synth? He’s part of this organization that’s on the hunt for...these magic synthesizers.

Beat.

**HENRIETTA  
** What?

**ROGER  
** Just hear me out. He gave it to me to help prove that it was the one his team was looking for. The idea was for me to find an...”innocent soul” for the thing to corrupt. I didn’t think it would actually work until you showed up. Even then, it didn’t work in the way I thought it would.

**HENRIETTA  
** So me punching you and...the weird stuff with the Synth playing melodies on its own was because of...magic.

**ROGER  
** Believe me, I thought it was bullshit too. (Beat.) But then you punched me over a Synth, so I became a believer _real_ quick.

Beat.

**HENRIETTA  
** I’m sorry about that.

**ROGER  
** It’s fine. Honestly, it’s the least I deserve for all this.

**HENRIETTA  
** I mean, yeah.

Roger and her laugh. Another tense moment passes.

A nurse walks in with a clipboard.

**NURSE  
** Henrietta Flores?

**HENRIETTA  
** Yeah.

**NURSE  
** Well, good news: you don’t seem to have any negative effects from whatever you were drugged with last night. Thank god your friend stepped in before some creep took advantage of you.

Henrietta and Roger meet eyes, sharing a silent understanding before Henrietta turns back to the nurse.

**HENRIETTA  
** Yeah, I was really lucky. I’ll keep an eye on my drinks next time.

**NURSE  
** I just want to ask you a few questions to make sure your head’s all good to go before I clear you to leave.

**HENRIETTA  
** Okay.

**NURSE  
** What is your full name?

**HENRIETTA  
** Henrietta Johanna Flores.

The nurse holds up two fingers.

**NURSE  
** How many fingers am I holding up?

**HENRIETTA  
** Two.

**NURSE  
** All right. And who is the current U.S. president?

**HENRIETTA  
** Ronald Regan.

**NURSE  
** Excellent! I’ll just need you to sign right here and you’ll be good to go.

The nurse hands Henrietta a pen. She signs at the bottom of a release form and dates it as follows: March 3, 1982. Once the paper is signed, the nurse leaves.

**HENRIETTA  
** So...would I have gotten possessed by the devil if I kept playing it or something?

**ROGER  
** No, nothing like that. At least I don’t think so.

**HENRIETTA  
** That’s not very reassuring.

**ROGER  
** Look, my friend didn’t even know what it was going to do. He just knew that it was one of the most dangerous of its kind. And that if it worked, it had to be destroyed.

**HENRIETTA  
** They destroyed it?

**ROGER  
** I don’t know. Some asshole in a suit came to collect it this morning. Whatever happens with it now is not my problem.

Beat.

**ROGER (CONT’D)  
** Anyway, I should help you get home.

Roger helps Henrietta out of the hospital bed. He hands Henrietta her shoes and jacket.

**HENRIETTA  
** You know, I’m much better on a real piano.

**ROGER  
** You’ll have to show me sometime.

Henrietta smiles at him. Roger returns the gesture and walks out with her.

CUT TO:

EXT. UNDER AN OVERPASS - DAY

An ASSHOLE in a black suit with a bowtie and black sunglasses unlocks a mallet from a case. He twirls it in his hands as he turns to eye the Synth flashing behind him. As he walks towards the Synth, we hear a phone conversation from (presumably) earlier that day.

**ASSHOLE 1 (V.O.)  
** You’re sure this is the right one?

**ASSHOLE 2 (V.O.)  
** Positive. My friend saw it work with his own eyes. Said the bitch broke his nose over it.

**ASSHOLE 1 (V.O.)  
** It at least get him laid?

**ASSHOLE 2 (V.O.)  
** Nah. Doesn’t work like that, apparently.

**ASSHOLE 1 (V.O.)  
** Well. Guess we’ll never know.

**ASSHOLE 2 (V.O.)  
** One less problem we gotta deal with.

**ASSHOLE 1  
** Only six more to go.

The ASSHOLE gets a wicked look on his face as the violent strobes on the Synth get stuck on red. He raises the hammer down.

CUT TO BLACK as we hear the sickening crunch of metal against machinery.

END


End file.
